Garrett Safron Leads Sacramento State To Huge Comeback Win At Portland State

For the second time in three weeks, Sacramento State quarterback Garrett Safron set a new school record for yards in a game, throwing for 554 yards, and his four-yard pass to Cole Hikutini with 30 seconds left gave the Hornets a wild come-from-behind 43-42 Big Sky Conference win over the Portland State Vikings at Jeld-Wen Field Saturday afternoon.

D.J. Adams scored his fifth rushing touchdown of the day for Portland State (6-5, 3-4 Big Sky) with 9:25 left to put the Vikings up 42-31.

But on a day when neither team’s defense could stop the other offense, Safron led the Hornets on a rapid six-play, 77-yard touchdown drive that ran just 1:41 off the clock. Safron capped it with a 26-yard touchdown pass to Austin Dotson, but a failed two-point conversion left the Hornets (5-6, 4-3 Big Sky) trailing 42-37 with 7:38 to go.

Porland State eventually drove into the red zone, grinding nearly six minutes off the clock, but was stopped on downs at the Sacramento State 15-yard line with 1:43 to go.

Safron guided the Hornets down the field in just eight plays and put the Hornets ahead for the first time since a 3-0 lead in the first quarter on his touchdown pass to Hikutini.

Osagie Odiase then made a defensive play when the Hornets needed once, picking off Collin Ramirez’s pass at the Portland State 41 to seal the win.

Safron was 34-for-50 for 554 yards, shattering the school record of 412 passing yards he set just two weeks ago in an overtime loss to Montana. He threw four touchdowns and was intercepted once.

Sacramento State needed the aerial fireworks, as its ground game was held to just 74 yards on 29 carries. Safron was the leading rusher with 42 yards on eight carries and he scored twice on the ground.

Portland State rang up 713 yards of offense, including 382 on the ground. Adams had a huge day, rambling for 249 yards and five touchdowns on 26 carries and Ramirez was 17-for-34 for 272 yards and a touchdown.

Sacramento State took an early 3-0 lead on a 24-yard field goal by Brad Cornish, but the first of Adams’ touchdowns midway through the first quarter, this one from nine yards away, put the Vikings up 7-3.

Adams scored from a yard out with 6:21 left in the second quarter to make it 14-3, but Safron hit Morris Norrise with a 10-yard touchdown pass with 29 seconds left to cut the lead to 14-10.

That’s what the Hornets thought would be the halftime advantage.

But the Vikings reached into their bag of tricks after taking over at their own 25 with 29 seconds left. Wide receiver Thomas Carter took a handoff and threw a 50-yard completion to David Jones, who was hauled down at the Hornets 25 with 21 seconds left.

Ramirez found Victor Dean for a 14-yard score as time expired to put Portland State up 21-10.

The Hornets got a one-yard touchdown run from Safron to close to 21-17, but Adams put the Vikings back up 11 with a 10-yard run. Safron countered with a 16-yard touchdown run to close to 28-24 and Adams answered right back with an 18-yard touchdown run that put the Vikings up 35-24 with 4:56 left in the third period.

On the very next possession, Safron and DeAndre Carter hooked up for a 78-yard scoring pass that left Portland State with a 35-31 lead, setting up the fourth quarter fireworks.

Shane Harrison caught nine passes for the Hornets for 138 yards, while Carter made five grabs for 133 yards and Norrise had seven catches for 126 yards.

The Hornets close the season next week at Hornet Stadium against UC Davis (3-7, 3-3). Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. Pacific.